Topic Contents

Objects in the Eye

Topic Overview

It's not uncommon for a speck of dirt or a
small object, such as an eyelash or makeup, to get in your eye. Usually your
natural tears will wash the object out. Objects may scratch the surface of the
eye (cornea) or may become stuck on the eye. If the
cornea is scratched, it can be hard to tell when you
have gotten the object out, because a scratched cornea may feel painful and as
though something is still in the eye. Most corneal scratches are minor and heal
on their own in 1 or 2 days.

Small objects traveling at high speed
or sharp objects traveling at any speed can cause serious injury to many parts
of the eyeball. Injury may cause bleeding, a
change in the size or shape of the pupil, a film over
the eye lens, or damage to the inside of the eyeball. These objects may become
embedded deep in the eye and may require medical treatment.

Objects
in the eye can be prevented by using protective eyewear.
Wear safety glasses, goggles, or face shields when working with power tools
or chemicals or doing any activity that might cause an object or substance to
get into your eyes. Some professions, such as health care and construction, may
require workers to use protective eyewear to reduce the risk of foreign objects
or substances or body fluids getting in the eyes.

For information
about other types of eye injuries, such as blows to the eye, see the topic
Eye Injuries.

Certain health conditions and medicines weaken the immune system's ability to fight off infection and
illness. Some examples in adults are:

Diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease,
and HIV/AIDS.

Long-term alcohol and drug
problems.

Steroid medicines, which may be used to treat a variety
of conditions.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for
cancer.

Other medicines used to treat autoimmune
disease.

Medicines taken after organ transplant.

Not
having a spleen.

There are a couple of ways to safely remove an object from the eye.

Do not try to remove:

Any object made of metal.

Any object
that has punctured the eye.

To remove a nonmetal object that is on
the surface of the eye or inside the eyelid:

Wash your hands before you touch the
eye.

Try to gently flush out the object with water.

If
the object is on the white part of the eye or inside the lower lid, wet a
cotton swab or the tip of a twisted piece of tissue and touch the end to the
object. The object should cling to the swab or tissue.

Do not use tweezers, toothpicks, or other hard items to remove an
object.

Pain in adults and older children

Severe pain (8 to 10): The pain
is so bad that you can't stand it for more than a few hours, can't sleep, and
can't do anything else except focus on the pain.

Moderate pain (5 to 7): The pain is bad enough to disrupt your
normal activities and your sleep, but you can tolerate it for hours or days.
Moderate can also mean pain that comes and goes even if it's severe when it's
there.

Mild pain (1 to 4): You notice the pain,
but it is not bad enough to disrupt your sleep or activities.

Seek Care Now

Based on your answers, you may need care right away. The problem is likely to get worse without medical care.

Call your doctor now to discuss the symptoms and
arrange for care.

If you cannot reach your doctor or you don't have
one, seek care in the next hour.

You do not need to call an
ambulance unless:

You cannot travel safely either by driving
yourself or by having someone else drive you.

You are in an area
where heavy traffic or other problems may slow you down.

Home Treatment

First aid for objects in the eye

Don't rub your eye,
because this could scratch the outer surface (cornea) of the
eye. You may have to keep small children from rubbing their
eyes.

Wash your hands before touching your eye.

If you
wear contact lenses, take the contacts out before trying to remove the object
or flush your eye.

If an object is over the dark center (pupil) of
the eye or over the colored part (iris) of the eye, you may try to gently
flush it out with water. If the object does not come
out with flushing, put on dark glasses, and call your doctor. Do not put any pressure on the eye.

If the object
is on the white part (sclera) of the eye or inside the lower lid, wet a
cotton swab or the tip of a twisted piece of tissue and touch the end to the
object. The object should cling to the swab or tissue. Some minor irritation is
common after you have removed the object in this way.

Gently flush
the eye with cool water. A clean eyedropper may help. Many times the object
will be under the upper eyelid and can be removed by lifting the upper lid away
and flushing gently.

Do not try to remove a
piece of metal, an object that has punctured the eye, or an object stuck on the
eye after flushing with water.

Never use
tweezers, toothpicks, or other hard items to remove any object. Using these
items could cause eye damage.

Eye injury in a child

Applying first aid measures for
an eye injury in a child may be difficult depending on the child's age, size,
and ability to cooperate. Having another adult help you treat the child is
helpful. Stay calm and talk in a soothing voice. Use slow, gentle movements to
help the child remain calm and cooperative. A struggling child may need to be
held strongly so that first aid can be started and the seriousness of the eye
injury assessed.

Aspirin (also a nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drug), such as Bayer or Bufferin

Talk to your child's doctor before switching back and
forth between doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. When you switch between two
medicines, there is a chance your child will get too much medicine.

Safety tips

Be sure to follow these
safety tips when you use a nonprescription medicine:

Carefully read and follow all directions
on the medicine bottle and box.

If you wear contacts, be sure to remove your contacts when your eye problem starts.

Prevention

The following tips may help prevent eye
injuries.

Wear
safety glasses, goggles, or face shields when you work
with power tools or chemicals or do any activity that might cause an object or
substance to get into your eyes. Some professions, such as health care and
construction, may require workers to use protective eyewear to reduce the risk
of foreign objects or substances or body fluids getting in the
eyes.

If you are welding or are near someone else who is welding, wear
a mask or goggles designed for welding.

Wear protective eyewear
during sports such as baseball, hockey, racquetball, or paintball that involve
the risk of a blow to the eye. Fishhook injuries are another common cause of
eye injuries. Protective eyewear can prevent sports-related eye injuries more
than 90% of the time. An eye examination may help determine what
type of protective eyewear is needed.

Eye injuries are common in children, and many can be
prevented. Most eye injuries happen in older children. They occur more often in
boys than in girls. Toys—from crayons to toy guns—are a major source of injury,
so check all toys for sharp or pointed parts. Laser toys or pointers can cause eye damage if the laser is pointed at the eye.

Teach children about
eye safety:

Be a good role model—always wear eye
protection.

Get protective eyewear for your children, and help them
use it properly.

Teach children that toys that fly should not be
pointed at another person.

Teach children how to properly carry
sharp or pointed objects.

Teach children that any kind of missile,
projectile, or BB gun is not a toy.

Use safety measures near fires
and explosives, such as campfires and fireworks.

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How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.